A family tree gift for a grandparent’s 70th, 80th or 90th birthday
A poster that shows where Grandma or Grandpa comes from and everyone who belongs to the family, printed from your family’s data, framed and ready to hang.
At 70, 80 or 90 a person has lived through a great many stories, but hardly anyone still hears the names behind them: their parents, their grandparents, the brothers and sisters of their childhood. A family tree brings them back onto the wall. And it shows the other direction too: the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who would not be here without the birthday person.
At the party, a poster like this quickly starts conversations. Grandma explains who her grandfather was and where he lived, and the grandchildren ask questions they would never have thought of otherwise. Names and dates often come up that nobody had written down before.
Ancestors, descendants or both
An ancestor chart puts the birthday person at the foot of the trunk, with parents, grandparents and great-grandparents above. It is the classic choice for Heritage Oak, the family tree on a painted tree, and for Heritage Fan, the semicircular ancestor fan that gives every family line its own colour. For someone who loves telling stories about the old days, this is often the most touching gift.
A descendant view turns the direction around: Grandpa at the bottom, with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren above. Heritage Oak does this too, with the partner as a line “& Name” on the card. Modern Clean combines both as an hourglass: parents and grandparents at the top, the birthday person and partner in the middle, and the family the two of them founded below. With a GEDCOM file, the “Balanced” preset (ancestry and descendants) is made for exactly this.
- Ancestor chart (Heritage Oak or Heritage Fan): for anyone who loves stories about the old days
- Descendants (Heritage Oak): when the children and grandchildren should take centre stage
- Hourglass (Modern Clean): ancestry and descendants on one sheet
The data: who knows what?
The ancestors of an 80-year-old thin out quickly, because their grandparents were often born in the 19th century. Good sources are the birthday person’s siblings and cousins, family Bibles and old certificates, funeral cards, letters and the backs of old photos. Ask casually, over coffee or while leafing through a photo album; most people are glad to be asked about their parents.
Unknown ancestors are no flaw on the poster. There are no empty boxes or question marks: the tree only shows what is known and is scaled to fill the sheet. Without a GEDCOM file, type the names into the wizard, up to 7 generations in each direction. If you would rather collect on paper first, print a free blank chart and fill it in together on your next visit.
Easy to read and personal
For older eyes, type size matters. Fewer generations mean larger cards; for a poster on the sideboard, four are often enough. The live preview shows every detail before you pay, and the print looks exactly like it.
Under “Title & labels” you can choose the title freely, for instance “Grandma’s family” or the birthday person’s full name. Heritage Oak and Modern Clean add a custom subtitle, such as “For your 80th birthday · March 2026”. Misspelled names from a GEDCOM file can be fixed right in the design step under “Correct names”; in the wizard you change them there.
By default the poster prints living people without years. For a gift within the family you can turn off the “Protect living persons” switch, and the birthday person’s birth year then appears on the card too.
Frame, delivery and copies for the family
Framed posters come in a pine wood frame in black, white or natural, with shatterproof plexiglass and a hanging kit. The natural frame suits wooden furniture, white suits light walls. To the USA and Canada we currently ship framed posters in A4, which holds up to 5 generations depending on the template.
Framed posters reach the USA and Canada 7–12 business days after payment; within Germany, posters take 3–5. You can have it shipped straight to the birthday person; the invoice goes to you. With the family link you receive after ordering, siblings and cousins can order the same poster for themselves without uploading anything.
Not all the data yet?
Give a voucher instead. It arrives by e-mail within minutes, together with a card to print, and the recipients design their poster themselves later. It is valid until the end of the third year after purchase.
In time for Christmas
If the poster should be under the tree, these are the deadlines (destination: United States, Christmas 2026):
- Framed: order by 4 December (7–12 business days from payment)
The dates for every destination are in our article on Christmas order deadlines. If you miss the date, a gift voucher arrives by e-mail within minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What if we only know two or three generations?
Then the tree is smaller, but not patchy: it only shows known people and still fills the sheet. A lovely alternative is the descendant view. Everyone knows the children and grandchildren, and for Grandma or Grandpa it is often just as moving.
Can I give one poster to both grandparents?
Yes. In Modern Clean both stand side by side, with both partners’ ancestors above if you like; with a GEDCOM file this is the “Couple’s” preset. In Heritage Oak, “Spouse on the card” adds the partner as a line “& Name” to the root person’s card.
Grandpa must not notice. How do I get the data?
Ask his siblings, his cousins or your parents, and look through old family papers if you can. If something is missing, leave it out; the poster never prints empty boxes. To be completely safe, give a voucher and design the poster together after the party.
How long does delivery take?
Framed posters take 7–12 business days from payment to the USA and Canada; within Germany posters take 3–5, framed 4–7. Printing is included.
Design the birthday family tree
Upload a GEDCOM file or type the family into the wizard. You see the finished poster before you pay.